Modular storage container

ABSTRACT

A modular storage container including multiple storage compartments and integrated compartment connectors is disclosed. The compartments may be repeatedly connected and disconnected for use as a single multi-compartment container or as separate containers with separate lids. Multiple compartments may be connected together into a single unit for storage, transport, and/or serving. However, the compartments may also be temporarily disconnected to allow heating of a food item without the need for another container, and then the compartments may be optionally reconnected for serving. Any number of storage compartments of any suitable shape and size may be combined in this way.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates in general to storage containers, and, inparticular, to modular storage containers.

BACKGROUND

People frequently store food for later consumption. For example, aperson may put pasta in a plastic container, store that container in arefrigerator, and later reheat the pasta in a microwave oven.Frequently, different types of food are combined to form a meal. Forexample, the person may want to include a side of fruit with the pasta.In such a situation, the consumer may use multiple containers. However,managing and transporting multiple containers is burdensome.

To accommodate this type of situation, multi-compartment containers areoften used. For example, a container may include two sections separatedby an integrated wall with a single lid to cover both sections. However,these multi-compartment containers have certain drawbacks. If one of thefood items stored in the multi-compartment container requires heating(e.g., pasta), and another food item in the multi-compartment containerdoes not require heating (e.g., fruit), then the consumer must removeone or more of the food items from the multi-compartment container priorto heating. For example, the consumer may place the pasta in anothercontainer for heating, or the consumer may place the fruit in anothercontainer and heat the pasta in the multi-compartment container.

SUMMARY

The modular storage container described herein solves this problem byincluding multiple storage compartments and integrated compartmentconnectors. The compartments may be repeatedly connected anddisconnected for use as a single multi-compartment container or asseparate containers. For example, one compartment may store pasta, andanother compartment may store fruit. These two compartments may beconnected together into a single unit for storage, transport, and/orserving. However, the two compartments may also be temporarilydisconnected to allow heating of a food item (e.g., pasta) without theneed for another container, and then the compartments may be optionallyreconnected for serving. Any number of storage compartments of anysuitable shape and size may be combined in this way.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example compartment for a modular storagecontainer including a male-type compartment connector.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example compartment for a modular storagecontainer including a female-type compartment connector.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of how the male-type compartment connectorof FIG. 1 cooperates with the female-type compartment connector of FIG.2 to removably attach the respective compartments.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example modular storage container with fourcompartments forming a circle.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example modular storage container with fourcompartments forming a square.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example modular storage container with one largerectangular compartment and two smaller square compartments.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example compartment for a modular storagecontainer including a bimodal compartment connector.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example process of storing and serving food usinga modular storage container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

An example compartment 100 for a modular storage container isillustrated in FIG. 1. In this example, the compartment 100 includes astorage area 102 and two compartment connectors 104. The storage area102 may used to hold any suitable material. For example, the storagearea 102 may be used to hold solids and/or liquids, such as cerealand/or milk. In another example, the storage area 102 may be used tohold hardware, such as screws, nuts, bolts, etc. In yet another example,the storage area 102 maybe used to hold game pieces, such as checkers,chips, cards, etc. In still another example, the storage area 102 maybeused to fishing tackle, such as spoons, jigs, hooks, weights, etc.

Another example compartment 200 for a modular storage container isillustrated in FIG. 2. This example compartment 200 also includes astorage area 202 and two compartment connectors 204. However, in theexample compartment 200 illustrated in FIG. 2, each of the twocompartment connectors 204 is a female-type compartment connector 204.Whereas, in the example compartment 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, each ofthe two compartment connectors 104 is a male-type compartment connector104.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the male-type compartment connectors 104cooperate with the female-type compartment connectors 204 to removablyattach the one compartment 100 to the other compartment 200. In thisexample, the one compartment 100 is preferably attached to the othercompartment 200 by tilting the one compartment 100 at an angle relativeto the other compartment 200 and inserting the two male-type connectors104 into the two female-type connectors 204. Conversely, the onecompartment 100 is preferably removed from the other compartment 200 bytilting the one compartment 100 at an angle relative to the othercompartment 200 and removing the two male-type connectors 104 from thetwo female-type connectors 204.

Although force fitting male-type and female-type connectors of a certainshape and number are shown in the examples herein, it will beappreciated that any suitable type and any suitable number of connectorsmay be used. For example, a single male-type connector covering some orall of the length of one compartment may be slid into a receivingfemale-type connector covering some or all of the length of anothercompartment. Other example connectors include Velcro®, magnets, suctioncups, and/or any other suitable reusable connector.

The two compartments 100, 200 may be made of the same or differentmaterials. For example, one compartment may be made of a materialsuitable for heating in a microwave oven, and another compartment may bemade of a material suitable for heating in a conventional oven. Examplematerials include insulators such as Styrofoam and dishwasher savematerials such plastic.

In addition, the two compartments 100, 200 may be the same or differentcolors. For example, one compartment may be a translucent blue color toindicate cold storage, and another compartment may be a translucent redcolor to indicate hot storage. Similarly, a several different colors(e.g., eight) may be used to indicate a type of food stored in thecompartment.

When the example compartment 100 is attached to the example compartment200, a modular storage container 300 with two equal compartments isformed. As shown in the example of FIG. 3, the compartments 100, 200 mayinclude additional connectors 104, 204 to increase the number ofcompartments in the modular storage container 300. For example, anotheridentical compartment 100 or 200 may be attached to the storagecontainer 300 to form a modular storage container with threecompartments.

It will be appreciated that any number and any shape of compartments maybe used. An example of a modular storage container 400 with fourcompartments 402 is illustrated in FIG. 4. An example of another modularstorage container 500 with four compartments 502 is illustrated in FIG.5. The example container 400 includes four pie-shaped compartments 402attached together to from a circular container. The example container500 includes four triangular compartments 502 attached together to forma square container. In one embodiment, the modular storage container maycollapse to facilitate transport of the modular storage container whenthe modular storage container is not full (e.g., empty). For example,each compartment may be made of plastic and include a plurality ofconcentric stress lines to facilitate a telescoping collapse of themodular storage container.

Preferably, the modular storage containers include lids. In oneembodiment, each compartment includes a reusable lid shaped to cover thecorresponding storage area. For example, the storage container 400illustrated in FIG. 4 may include four pie-shaped lids 404, and thestorage container 500 illustrated in FIG. 5 may include four triangularlids 504. Each lid may include a permanent connection to thecorresponding compartment (e.g., a strap). In another embodiment, eachstorage container includes a lid shaped to cover a plurality ofcompartments. For example, the storage container 400 illustrated in FIG.4 may include a single circular lid sized to cover all four pie-shapedcompartments 402, and the storage container 500 illustrated in FIG. 5may include a single square lid sized to cover all four triangularcompartments 502.

When a lid is shaped to cover a plurality of compartments, the lid mayact as the connector of those compartments in addition to or instead ofone or more integrated compartment connectors. In addition, such a lidmay be used as a tray, wherein the bottom of each compartment attachesto the lid when the lid is serving as a tray. In some embodiments, onelid may be shaped to cover multiple compartments without covering all ofthe compartments associated with a particular container. In addition,one lid may cover multiple compartments when each of the multiplecompartments is already covered by an individual lid.

Different lids may be of different types. For example, one lid may bemade of a material suitable for heating in a microwave oven, and anotherlid may be made of a material suitable for heating in a conventionaloven. In addition, different lids may be the same or different colors.For example, one lid may be a translucent blue color to indicate coldstorage, and another lid may be a translucent red color to indicate hotstorage. Preferably, each lid is attached to a corresponding compartmentusing a force fit seal. As described in more detail below with referenceto FIG. 6, a lid may include one or more vents that can be repeatedlyopened and closed. For example, a vent may be closed for food storageand opened for food heating.

In addition to equally sized and equally shaped compartments, a modularstorage container may include compartments with different sizes and/ordifferent shapes. For example, a modular storage container designed tocarry fishing tackle may be constructed “on the fly” by mixing andmatching different types of compartments based on the fisherman's needsat the time. In such an instance, the compartments may be filled withfishing tackle prior to the time the compartments are purchased by anend user. An example of a modular storage container 600 with one largerectangular compartment 602 and two smaller square compartments 604 isillustrated in FIG. 6. In this example, the rectangular compartment 602may be the same or similar to the example compartment 100 shown in FIG.1 or the example compartment 200 shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively, therectangular compartment 602 may include both male-type connectors 104and female-type connectors 204.

Each of the square compartments 604 preferably includes a correspondingconnector (not shown) to facilitate removable attachment of the squarecompartments 604 to the rectangular compartment 602. In addition, eachof the square compartments 604 preferably includes a connector (notshown) to facilitate removable attachment of one square compartment 604to the other square compartment 604. For example, a bimodal connectormay be used to removably attach each of the compartments 602, 604to/from each other. Bimodal connectors are not exclusively male-typeconnectors or female-type connectors. An example of a bimodal connector700 including a plurality of alternating male-type connectors 702 andfemale-type connectors 704 is illustrated in FIG. 7. Another example ofa bimodal connector is a well known bristle block® style connector.Regardless of the type of connectors used, when the compartments areconnected to form a modular storage container, the compartments arepreferably connected in a manner that allows simultaneous access to eachof the corresponding storage areas.

As described above, the modular storage container 600 may include areusable lid shaped to cover each compartment 602, 604, or the modularstorage container 600 may include one or more reusable lids shaped tocover multiple compartments 602, 604. For example, the storage container600 may include two smaller square lids 606 and one larger rectangularlid 608. Alternatively, the modular storage container 600 may include asingle square lid sized to cover all three compartments 602, 604 or onerectangular lid 608 to cover the rectangular compartment 602 and anotherrectangular lid 608 to cover the two square compartments 604.

In FIG. 6, each lid 606 and 608 includes an example reusable vent 610.The reusable vent 610 includes a fixed portion 612 and a movable portion614. In this example, the movable portion 614, rotates about the centerpoint of the vent 610 to expose one or more openings 616. It will beappreciated that other methods of opening the vent 610, such as slidinga cover or opening a flap, may be used. The vent 610 a associated withthe larger rectangular lid 608 is shown closed. The vent 610 bassociated with one of the square compartments 604 is shown partiallyopened, and the vent 610 c associated with the other square compartment604 is shown fully opened.

Because the compartments may be connected and disconnected multipletimes, one example use is for storing and/or serving foods at differenttemperatures. An example process 800 of storing and serving food isillustrated in FIG. 8. Although the process 800 is described withreference to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 8, it will be appreciatedthat many other methods of performing the acts associated with process800 may be used. For example, the order of many of the steps may bechanged, and some of the steps described may be optional.

The example process 800 begins when a modular food storage container isconstructed by connecting a plurality of storage compartments togetherusing a plurality of reusable compartment connectors (block 802). Forexample, a factory employee, a factory machine, and/or a consumer mayconnect several compartments of different shapes and sizes togetherusing integrated bimodal compartment connectors.

In addition, different foods are placed in the different compartments(block 804). For example, a factory employee, a factory machine, and/ora consumer may place pasta in one compartment and fruit in anothercompartment. The food may be placed in the compartments before or afterthe modular food storage container is constructed. For example, onefactory may place one type of food in one compartment, another factorymay place another type of food in another compartment, and a thirdfactory may assemble the compartments in to the modular food storagecontainer.

Once the foods are placed in the different compartments, any lid ventsare preferably closed (block 806) and each compartment is covered with alid (block 808). For example, one lid many cover multiple storagecompartments, or each storage compartment may receive its own lid. Thelid(s) may be placed on the storage compartments by a factory employee,a factory machine, and/or a consumer. The lid vents may be closed beforeor after the lids are secured to the compartments.

Once the modular food storage container is complete with food and lids,the modular food storage container is preferably placed in a coolingunit (block 810). For example, the modular food storage container may beplaced in a refrigerator or a freezer to preserve the food stored in themodular food storage container. The modular food storage container maybe placed in the cooling unit by a factory employee, a factory machine,and/or a consumer.

Subsequently, the modular food storage container is removed from thecooling unit (block 812). For example, a factory employee and/or afactory machine may remove the modular food storage container from awarehouse refrigerator or freezer for shipping; a grocery store employeemay remove the modular food storage container from a refrigerator orfreezer truck for placement in a sales display; a consumer may removethe modular food storage container from a refrigerator or freezerdisplay unit for purchase; or a consumer may remove the modular foodstorage container from a home refrigerator or freezer for consumption ofthe food contained in the modular food storage container.

One or more of the compartments are then separated from each other(block 814), the lid vent (if included) is optionally opened (block816), and one or more of the compartments is placed into a warming unit(block 818). For example, a consumer may place one compartment in amicrowave oven or a conventional oven to heat the food stored in thatcompartment. The separated compartments may then be reconnected (block820), and the lids may be removed (block 822) prior to serving themodular food storage container to a consumer (block 824). For example, aheated compartment containing pasta and a non-heated compartmentcontaining fruit may be served to a consumer in a manner that allowssimultaneous access to the storage areas of both compartments.

In summary, persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciatethat a modular storage container including reusable compartmentconnectors has been provided. The foregoing description has beenpresented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the exemplaryembodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible inlight of the above teachings. It is intended that the scope of theinvention be limited not by this detailed description of examples, butrather by the claims appended hereto.

1. A modular storage container comprising: a first compartment, thefirst compartment including a first storage area and a first compartmentconnector; a first reusable lid shaped to cover the first storage area;a second compartment, the second compartment including a seconddifferent storage area and a second different compartment connector; anda second different reusable lid shaped to cover the second storage area;wherein the first compartment connector and the second compartmentconnector are shaped to facilitate removable attachment of the firstcompartment to the second compartment in a manner that allowssimultaneous access to the first storage area and the second storagearea.
 2. The modular storage container of claim 1, wherein the firstcompartment connector is a bimodal compartment connector including atleast one male-type connector and at least on female-type connector. 3.The modular storage container of claim 1, wherein the first reusable lidincludes a reusable vent.
 4. The modular storage container of claim 1,wherein the first compartment is made in a first color; and the secondcompartment is made in a second different color.
 5. The modular storagecontainer of claim 1, wherein the first compartment is made of a firstmaterial; and the second compartment is made of a second differentmaterial.
 6. The modular storage container of claim 1, wherein the firstreusable lid is made in a first color; and the second reusable lid ismade in a second different color.
 7. The modular storage container ofclaim 1, wherein the first storage area has a shape and a size; and thesecond storage area has the shape and the size.
 8. The modular storagecontainer of claim 1, wherein the first storage area has a first shapeand a first size; and the second storage area has a second differentshape and a second different size.
 9. The modular storage container ofclaim 1, wherein the first compartment connector has a shape; and thesecond compartment connector has the shape.
 10. The modular storagecontainer of claim 1, wherein the first compartment connector has afirst shape; and the second compartment connector has a second differentshape.
 11. The modular storage container of claim 1, including a thirdcompartment, the third compartment including a third different storagearea and a third compartment connector wherein the third compartmentconnector is shaped to facilitate removable attachment of the thirdcompartment to the first compartment.
 12. The modular storage containerof claim 11, wherein the third compartment connector is shaped tofacilitate removable attachment of the third compartment to the secondcompartment.
 13. The modular storage container of claim 11, including athird different reusable lid shaped to cover the third storage area. 14.The modular storage container of claim 13, wherein at least one of thethird compartment is made in a third different color and the thirdreusable lid is made in the third color.
 15. The modular storagecontainer of claim 11, wherein each of the first storage area, thesecond storage area, and the third storage area has a different size.16. The modular storage container of claim 11, wherein the first storagearea has a first size, the second storage area has the first size, andthe third storage area has a second different size.
 17. A method ofstoring and serving food, the method comprising: constructing a modularstorage container by connecting a first food storage compartment to asecond food storage compartment using a reusable compartment connector;placing a first food in the first food storage compartment; placing asecond different food in the second food storage compartment; securing afirst lid to the first food storage compartment; securing a seconddifferent lid to the second food storage compartment; placing themodular storage container in a cooling unit; removing the modularstorage container from the cooling unit; separating the first foodstorage compartment from the second food storage compartment; placingthe first food storage compartment in a warming unit; removing the firstfood storage compartment from the warming unit; and presenting the firstfood storage compartment and the second food storage compartment to afood consumer in a manner that allows simultaneous access to the firststorage compartment and the second storage compartment, wherein thefirst food is warmer than the second food.
 18. The method of claim 17,wherein the reusable compartment connector is a bimodal compartmentconnector including at least one male-type connector and at least onfemale-type connector.
 19. The method of claim 17, including opening andclosing a reusable vent associated with the first lid.
 20. The method ofclaim 17, wherein the cooling unit includes at least one of arefrigerator and a freezer; and the warming unit includes at least oneof a microwave oven and a conventional oven.